The International Aerospace Exhibition (Internationale Luft- und Raumfahrtausstellung; ILA) 2012 in Berlin opened on 11 September 2012. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und- Raumfahrt; DLR) stand is extremely varied and complete, covering topics from aeronautics, to materials in space through to civil security. The approximately 600-square-metre stand showcases 32 excellent exhibits hosted by DLR experts explaining the applications and science behind the projects. In this webcast we pay a visit to some of the exhibits at the DLR stand.

In this tour we speak to the creator of the Spaceliner concept who will tell us first hand about this amazing vision that will allow us, perhaps in some decades, to travel from Europe to the US West Coast in a mere 60 minutes. At the Droop Nose exhibit, the expert shows us how it works and explains its importance during takeoff and landing. A demonstration at the Gas to Liquid setup, followed by an explanation, clearly shows us the benefits of synthetic fuels in comparison to standard kerosene. On the other side of the DLR stand, we find an exhibit about Aerogels; stronger than steel and lighter than air, these materials are excellent thermal insulators. The flying Quadrocopter is one of the showstoppers as DLR_School_Lab staff demonstrates its flying capabilities inside a large, transparent tube, and tell us how this unmanned vehicle is useful for relief services during catastrophes.